LEA-6 / NEO-6 - Hardware Integration Manual
GPS.G6-HW-09007-A
Preliminary
Product handling
Page 41 of 62
3.2.11
Grounding metal covers
Attempts to improve grounding by soldering ground cables, wick or other forms of metal strips directly onto the
EMI covers is done at the customer's own risk. The numerous ground pins should be sufficient to provide
optimum immunity to interferences and noise.
u-blox makes no warranty for damages to the u-blox 6 module caused by soldering metal cables or any
other forms of metal strips directly onto the EMI covers.
3.2.12
Use of ultrasonic processes
Some components on the u-blox 6 module are sensitive to Ultrasonic Waves. Use of any Ultrasonic Processes
(cleaning, welding etc.) may cause damage to the GPS Receiver.
u-blox offers no warranty against damages to the u-blox 6 module caused by any Ultrasonic Processes.
3.3
EOS/ESD/EMI Precautions
When integrating GPS receivers into wireless systems, careful consideration must be given to electromagnetic
and voltage susceptibility issues. Wireless systems include components which can produce Electrostatic Discharge
(ESD), Electrical Overstress (EOS) and Electro-Magnetic Interference (EMI). CMOS devices are more sensitive to
such influences because their failure mechanism is defined by the applied voltage, whereas bipolar
semiconductors are more susceptible to thermal overstress. The following design guidelines are provided to help
in designing robust yet cost effective solutions.
To avoid overstress damage during production or in the field it is essential to observe strict
EOS/ESD/EMI handling and protection measures.
To prevent overstress damage at the RF_IN of your receiver, never exceed the maximum input
power of –5dBm.
3.3.1
Abbreviations
For a list of abbreviations used see Table 12 in Appendix A.
3.3.2
Electrostatic discharge (ESD)
Electrostatic discharge (ESD) is the sudden and momentary electric current that flows between
two objects at different electrical potentials caused by direct contact or induced by an
electrostatic field. The term is usually used in the electronics and other industries to describe
momentary unwanted currents that may cause damage to electronic equipment.
3.3.3
ESD handling precautions
ESD prevention is based on establishing an Electrostatic Protective Area (EPA). The EPA can be a small working
station or a large manufacturing area. The main principle of an EPA is that there are no highly charging materials
in the vicinity of ESD sensitive electronics, all conductive materials are grounded, workers are grounded, and
charge build-up on ESD sensitive electronics is prevented. International standards are used to define typical EPA
and can be obtained for example from International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) or American National
Standards Institute (ANSI).
GPS receivers are sensitive to ESD and require special precautions when handling. Particular care must be
exercised when handling patch antennas, due to the risk of electrostatic charges. In addition to standard ESD
safety practices, the following measures should be taken into account whenever handling the receiver.
- datasheet search engine
